巡狩者，巡其所守也。
“Inspecting the holdings” meant making the circuit of territories kept in holding.
述職者，述其所職也。
“Taking stock of offices” meant noting the apportionment of positions.
春省耕，助不給也；秋省斂，助不足也。
In the spring, the plowing was observed so that those in want might be supplied; in the fall, taxes and requisitions were observed so as to help those who were in need.
天子五年一巡狩。
The Son of Heaven inspected the holdings once every five years.
歲二月，東巡狩，至於東嶽，柴，而望祀山川，見諸侯，問百年者，命太師陳詩以觀民風，命市納賈以觀民之所好惡。
In the second month of a touring year, he went to the easternmost of the Five Sacred Mountains [Mount Tai 泰山], where he would burn dry kindling in sacrifice to Heaven, perform sacrifices to the mountains and streams, grant audiences to the regional lords, inquire after the well-being of those who had attained great age, order his court musicians to perform the local folk songs so as to to understand the customs of the people, and order market overseers to present him with items put up there for sale so that he might observe the likings and aversions of the people, while ordering those with excessive desires and perverse preferences to conform with precedents and rituals.
志淫好僻者，命典禮。
He also investigated the seasons and the months, so as to determine the designations of the days, as well as forms of ritual, types of music, procedural prescriptions, and regulations concerning attire, so that they might be put to rights.
考時月，定日、同律禮樂制度衣服，正之。
If there were any among the regional lords who failed to conduct sacrifices to the spirits of the mountains and rivers, they were said to be “disrespectful.” The Son of Heaven dealt with the disrespectful by stripping them of their appointments.
山川神祗有不舉者為不敬，不敬者君黜以爵。
If there were any who in their temples failed to keep the zhao and mu generational distinctions clear, they were said to be “unfilial.” The Son of Heaven dealt with the unfilial by reducing the size of their territories.
宗廟有不順者為不孝，不孝者君削其地。
In cases where rulers made contributions that enriched the lives of the people, their fiefs were afterwards increased.
有功澤於民者，然後加地。
On entering the territory of a regional lord, if the Son of Heaven saw that the land was cleared and cultivated, and the elderly and worthy respected, then he would congratulate the lord concerned and increase his territory.
入其境，土地辟除，敬老尊賢，則有慶，益其地。
入其境，土地荒穢，遺老失賢，掊克在位，則有讓，削其地。
If, on entering the territory of a regional lord, he saw that the land was wild and overgrown, the elderly abandoned, and the worthy lost to service, and that those in high positions seized the people’s belongings, then he would castigate the lord concerned and reduce the size of his territory.